The Near-Sighted Summoner of Askr
by Half-beastdragonsoul2013
Summary: Gina Chandel did NOT intend to be a summoner for some random kingdom out in the deep wide multiverse. Nor did she expect to lose her only pair of glasses after being summoned. Or die and be resurrected by a weird, blinky gun. Or be shorter than any of the royals of said kingdom. But that can be fixed with friendship, determination and lots of coffee (candy).
1. Prologue - A Coffee Freak's Last Chance

_**Welcome to you and my name is HBDS_2013. I'd say my full name, but the shortened form sounds loads better. Anyway, this is the Near-Sighted Summoner in Askr and is somewhat inspired by the likes of**_ _ **jdt1829's**_ _ **Everyday Heroes and RoBlu321's Fire Emblem Heroes: Kiran's Journey. This will be written in the first person and will mostly be from the Summoner's POV with the occasional switch to other characters.**_

 ** _The first two chapters were surprisingly easy to write, even if it took at least a month for me to write it all. W_** ** _ithout further ado, I hope you enjoy the fic and if you have questions, suggestions or problems- lemme know._**

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*? POV*

I closed the car door behind me and ignored the rain as I trudged up the stairs to the third floor of the apartment complex while holding a plastic bag. I kept walking until I saw a door plaque marked "104-B" on the left side of the hallway. I fished out the keys from my pocket and unlocked the door.

I let out a dull "Yay" as I stepped through the door and walked inside with my groceries and keys in hand.

My apartment wasn't much to look at, what with its white walls (ugh, I hate not being allowed to paint the walls) and carpeted grey floor. To my left was a tiny dining room with two metal chairs next to a bigger square plastic table. I flipped the switch near the kitchen and the lights flickered open, revealing a gas stove surrounded by a pair of birch cupboards. On the opposite side was a refrigerator crowded with a calendar on the freezer door and several drawings of ponies drawn in crayon.

Next to the fridge was a counter with a black coffee maker next to a small bag of Death Wish coffee, two medium bags of Batangas coffee (a gift from my late mother), a stack of coffee filters and a knife rack with a twelve-inch chef's knife and a hand-sized survival knife. (The chef's knife was a moving away gift from my dad, while the survival knife I ordered online on a whim.) Next to the knife rack was a small sink with apple-scented dishwasher soap and a small tub filled with sponges and steel wool.

I sighed as I rotated my arms, took off my soaked chef's jacket and hung it over the other chair then took off my red tactical vest and set it on my lap. I flipped the plastic bag and stuffed two pouches with coffee candy while leaving the remaining one for my phone.

I set down the plastic bag and my keys on the table then sat down and cleaned my glasses. I fished out a pink slip and an envelope from the plastic bag, then the pen and permanent marker from my pants pockets and set them down along with everything else. I groaned at the pink slip, then tore the envelope and sighed at the contents and walked to the counter. I opened up one of the coffee cups, then the cabinets closest to me and grabbed a spoon and my favorite, blue Vault Boy-themed mug. I opened the coffee bag and the lid of the coffee maker replaced the old filter and opened up one of the Batangas coffee bags. I relished in the strong smell of home-away-from-home as I spooned some beans into a new filter while listening to the heavy rain outside. I took out the pitcher and filled it with water from the sink, then filled the coffee maker with enough water for four cups.

I had finished preparing the coffee when I heard the Pillar Men theme from my tactical vest.

I brought out my iPhone 4S from the right pouch of my vest and opened up the Steam app. I scrolled to the bottom of the chat log and saw that one of my online friends was playing Dark Souls 2. I declined the invite, checked my mail and sighed from my inability to afford a Nintendo Switch, Smash Ultimate and Kingdom Hearts 3.

The new-ish Fire Emblem Heroes game had been out for at least a year and a half and I knew of it from surfing the internet (and from my friends bugging me about it, much like how I'm also a closet fan of a certain show with pastel colored horses but that's a different story altogether) As for the series itself, Blazing Sword was my starter, then I moved on to buy Shadow Dragon and its sequel then tried Awakening, Fates and Smash 4. (I was also somewhat familiar with Roy and Ike thanks to the latter.)

I put on my coffee candy-stuffed vest and opened the FE Heroes app and yawned. I walked back to the coffee maker, poured myself a cup and gulped down my joe while I waited for the loading screen to finish, then watched the title screen go on for about five seconds until I got bored and tapped the title screen. I typed out my real name instead of my handle. I realized what I had done, but before I can change my name, I felt a light draft underfoot and found myself standing for a brief moment. I tried to pull myself from the void underfoot after I felt it suck my chair, but it was too strong and I slipped inside while holding my phone.

I was screaming for a long time until a blue speck of light appeared in front of me and went supernova, forcing me to cover my eyes. I uncovered my eyes and stopped screaming long enough to watch the void turn into clear skies. My hair whipped around my face as I watched clouds rising upward, then tried to cover my eyes from the harsh sunlight. I slowly twisted my body in a way where my head was facing the ground and tucked my arms against my sides.

I regretted the idea as I tried to spread out my limbs, but the air too cold for me to do so and I was too occupied with not dying to admire the scenery when the clouds turned into grass. The last thing I remember before I blacked out was hitting something white with red hair and gold scales.

* * *

 _ **I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to top this chapter, but I like what I've done so far and I wanted it to be different from the Kiran/Summoner intros I've read in the site. I've also been told that I suck at descriptions, especially places and I want to change that. I'd like to think that I've improved my writing skill thanks to three semesters of writing classes, at least four years of RPing in Skyrim and four years of writing pony fanfiction, but that's probably wishful thinking and I still have so much to learn about writing in general.**_


	2. Summoner Character Sheet

_**NOT a chapter, but I feel that this is relevant. Also note that I haven't seen the Gamer webcomic, but I do play a lot of video games. I also forgot that Heroes doesn't have a skill stat.**_

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 _ **Coffee Demon Gina - Level 1 Summoner**_

 _ **Description:**_ ** _An affable, but coffee-addicted and foul-mouthed summoner with workaholic tendencies. Her height and middle name are her berserk buttons. Born on May 19._**

 _ **Boon:  
Resilience**_

 _ **Bane:  
Defense**_

 _ **Assist:  
Smite**_

 _ **Special:  
Miracle**_

 _ **Base stats:**_  
HP - 11  
ATK - 9  
SPD - 6  
DEF - 4  
RES - 17

 _ **Inventory:  
Coffee Candy - Tastes and feels like coffee, but not as potent as its liquid or cold counterpart.  
Temporarily boosts SPD by 5. (5 uses)**_

 _ **Eyeglasses - Helps the wearer see.  
Boosts SKI by 8. (1 use)**_

 _ **Steel Folding Chair: Somewhat durable, but a decent improvised weapon.  
Useless against armored foes.**_

 _ **iPhone S4: Gina's smartphone. Has multiple functions.**_

 _ **Equipment:**_

 _ **Red Heavy Tactical Vest and Grey T-Shirt (Body)  
Khaki Pants and Hiking Boots (Leg)  
Black Stab Vest (Accessory)**_


	3. Ch 1 - A Coffee Freak's Tragic Start

**Anyway, T-rated fic. Swearing. Typical violence in Fire Emblem, yadda yadda yadda.** **I don't expect this fic to be any good, but if it made your day, then I'm glad.**

 **I've been playing Heroes non-stop since I started in late October of 2018. I find myself sometimes cursing my luck, though. I summon everyone BUT the one I want.**

 **I apologize in advance if I didn't write anyone in-character. I honestly don't blame you if you don't want to read it anymore.**

 **Sorry for the late- I'm not happy that this took at least a year to finish this, but I hope it's worth the wait.**

 **Finally, I hope that you enjoy the Near-Sighted Summoner of Askr. Lemme know if you have any questions, problems or comments.**

 **PS. I have no excuse to drag this out any longer- and this is the freakin' preface, for crying out loud!**

 **HB out~**

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 **Th3Hybr1d and superhatgirl -** Thank you- I'm glad I did something right. I just hope I can keep your interest.

 **MCtheYoutuber** \- It's really hard to resist spending money on orbs, especially since those orbs won't guarantee that you'll get the hero you want. I consider $50 to be whaling.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1A:**

 **A Coffee Freak's Tragic Start** **(Anna)**

I stood in front of a worn-out stone monument with a carving of a tree and a round hole in the middle. It stood on a cliff overlooking a clear lake. I looked around and I was surrounded by a network of water and masonry underfoot. I lifted my head towards the stone arch towering above me, with its highest peaks covered with clouds.

I took a deep breath and dropped Noatun, then I switched to Briedablik and aimed towards the hole. I grunted as the force blew me back. I fired the trigger and watched the white beam pierce through the hole. The water beneath my legs rippled and grew larger. They converged to the center and shone with a golden light.

I covered my face with my arm as my feathered cape blew against the wind. The water shone underfoot and a faint mist followed by a pillar of blue light shot skyward around the altar. It pierced the clouds and covered the sky in white.

I opened my eyes to see that the water had grown placid; the light had faded and my cape wet in several places. I hoped that a Great Hero would appear out of the void and swoop to the rescue in a white and gold robe. But nothing happened. I growled, threw Breidablik into the ground and stomped on it several times.

To my displeasure, Briedablik was still intact when a black stone bounced off my head. I rubbed my head and squeezed the stone. To my surprise, it resembled a leather mirror or a smooth box. I would sell it for some gold, but I have yet to find the Great Hero, whoever they are. I hid it on my belt pouch when I heard a loud, hollow object crash against the ornate cobblestone floor and yelped.

I looked down and leered at the device in front of me. I was about to examine further when I heard screaming from above. I couldn't step out of the way in time for me to fall on my back. I woke up and groaned. I tried to stand up, but I felt a weight on my chest and legs. I looked up and blinked. I assumed that she was female based on her rounded face. I pushed her my body and took a closer look.

I almost mistook her for a man no thanks to her impressive muscles and shaved head. I have seen my fair share of people with tan complexions, so I shrugged and moved on. Her thuggish face sported sunken eyes as well as a pair of thick, light brown brows.

If she wasn't the Great Hero, I could have killed her because of her bandit-like appearance.

Her garb looked nothing like anything I have seen in Zenith, much less Muspell. Her armor looked to be a threatening shade of red. I found a grey patch marked "Chandel" in bold, white letters on her right breast. She also wore a grey shirt with dark grey pants and a pair of brown, ankle-length boots.

I knelt next to her and checked her pulse. I sighed to myself and walked ahead when I realized she wouldn't be waking up soon.

I thanked the gods for the small mercy, only to curse them when I heard several loud screeches from above. I ran to the edge of the masonry and the plains. I jumped out of the way in time to watch an ultra greatsword embed itself on the ground where I stood.

I landed on the cobblestone floor and shuddered. For a moment, everything was quiet save for my ragged breaths. I took a deep breath and shrieked. The ground boomed. I fell on my butt and looked up. I found myself staring at a mountain of a sword knight. It wore dusty, black armor, winged, round helmet and a stone-grey great shield over its right arm looked down at me. I watched the knight lift the greatsword and hoisted it on its shoulder with one hand. It hovered and charged at me at inhuman speed.

"Found you…" I unholstered Noatun from my back. I locked blades with the massive greatsword. I tried to push him back, but the combined weight from both Noatun and the greatsword bore down on my arms. I staggered back, lost my footing and earned a bash to the face for my trouble. I dropped Noatun and fell on the grass. Gold coins twirled and danced around my eyes. I gagged at a sudden vice grip around my torso and looked down. I gulped at the knight's sheer size of his hands around my chest while I tried to squirm out of the knight's grip. I relaxed with an exasperated sigh and glared down at him. We stared at each other for a few seconds before I decided to become a living javelin.

I landed on my chest and bounced on my back before I felt something firm beneath my head. I groaned to myself as I lifted my head, scrambled to my feet and turned around. I had landed near the girl from earlier and glanced back at the knight. It lowered its sword and stared at me menacingly. I knelt beside her and shook her shoulders. To my horror, nothing happened.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" I picked her up by the shoulders and slapped her face with my gauntlets four times. I cheered to myself and dropped her when I heard a small, pained groan.

"Fuck, that hurt." I turned around and groaned at her coarse language. She looked up and rubbed her cheek with a scowl. Painful, but at least it did the trick.

"Drat. I was expecting an ax fighter, not this guy!" I thought to myself whilst my partner frowned at me and crossed her arms. "Aren't you a little young to be using such language?"

"No, I'm twenty-five." I sighed to myself and buried my face with my hands.

"I'll hold him off while you find Briedablik and-" I looked back at her, took a deep breath and turned back to the knight. I shuddered and drew back as I felt the malice flow from his helmet holes.

I stepped back and yelped from someone pulling at my cape. The knight's weapon landed at my feet. I covered my face with my free hand from the pebbles flying at me. I let out a thick gulp as I felt the sweat run down my forehead.

"And fight him without a weapon? Fuck no, you're not." The girl growled and glanced at the knight, then turned to me with a hard glare. My partner closed her left hand and raised her thumb, then she faced the knight. She breathed through her nose and ate a brown hard candy from her armor.

"Take the Briedablik and get out of here, Kiran!" I yelled at her as the knight floated back and raised his sword.

"Look, Red- you can't help me without a weapon and I'll be damned if I leave you to die on your own." My partner growled to herself as her eyes shot up. She lowered her knee and looked at me with a manic grin. Her left hand twitched and a white, tomato-sized orb appeared in the middle of her palm. It crackled with soft blue lightning bolts. The orb shifted into Briedablik in its white-gold glory. She turned to me with a flat stare, aimed Briedablik towards the knight and pulled the trigger. "And don't call me Kira-!"

I closed my eyes and covered my ears as I heard a click followed by a loud bang and a distant scream to my left. I uncovered my ears and blinked. The knight had collapsed on his back and his sword had embedded itself on the grass. Finally, the red-clad girl was nowhere.

I took a glance towards the knight and caught him trying to yank his sword out of the grass. I ran back to the summoning altar and searched the masonry until I heard a loud groan. I found her sprawled out on her back. The channel showed a pair of spectacles while a familiar flat object rested near her head.

I ran to her side, picked up the spectacles and waited until she craned her head and mumbled, "Not the porky rice..."

"Come on, Kiran!" I pulled her to her feet, grabbed her by the shoulders and handed over the spectacles. "Get up- we don't have much time."

The girl stood up on her feet and looked up. She pushed me back with a grunt and frown. "Ugh, for the last time- don't call me Kiran!"

"Why not?" I asked.

"Not sure how you know my middle name, but-" I let out a devilish grin as the girl groused and crossed her arms. "Call me Gina instead."

Noatun was unavailable for the time being. Gina and I only had so much time before our friend comes back. So I walked around and felt my foot ensnare itself against the stone. I yelped and landed on my stomach.

"You okay, Red?" Gina ran to me with a concerned look and offered her hand.

I allowed her to pull me up and picked up the weapon.

The 'weapon', resembled- no. It is a chair but flat and made of metal. I hung my head and let out a resigned sigh, already missing the cold steel of Noatun.

"Gina, right?" I waited until Gina had picked up the chair and held it with her hands. She let out a questioning grunt while she faced me with a furrowed brow. "You don't have any other weapons? And why am I Red?"

I looked at her then at the chair and let out a dejected sigh. "Not sure why, but your hair reminds me of someone," Gina grunted and rolled her shoulders. "'Fore you ask- I ain't a tactician but- I'll do my best to keep you alive."

I nodded at her with a small smile and fished out the smooth stone from my belt pouch. Like her garb, the device looked nothing like anything from Zenith. A small eye rested on the top middle edge while a depression rested on the bottom middle edge. A shallow mirror separated the two. I moved my finger to the top and heard a click- I yelped and dropped it.

To my surprise, it did not break. I did not see any cracks nor bruises on the device when I picked it up. The device shone with a blue light and showed some numbers and letters below. I moved my thumb to the right and lo and behold- I saw the masonry inside. I pressed the mirror again, and it turned black for some reason.

"Be awful nice if you can give my phone back." I whirled around to see Gina leveling a glare at me with crossed arms.

"Phone?" I showed her the smooth black stone. "You mean this black stone?"

"Can we focus on my phone later?" Gina frowned and knelt on the masonry. "I need my glasses."

I nodded and decided to walk closer to the summoning altar. I kept walking until I heard a hard crunch. Underfoot was a pair of black-framed spectacles. It shone near the tip of my boot among the channels. I knelt and picked it up. I noticed some glass in the holes and decided to try them. I regretted my decision as the world blurred into a horrible mess.

I blinked and I locked eyes with a red blur standing in front of me. She looked down and brought a familiar flat object to her chest.

"Gods, that hurt." I rubbed my eyes and handed over the spectacles. "How are you able to see?"

"That's what you get for wearing my glasses." Gina mumbled to herself and continued, "Without these- you look like a blurred mess. otherwise- I can see you fine, but it'll be loads harder for me to see people from far away. I never got your name. "

"Does this ring a bell?" I giggled to myself and rested a finger on my chin.

"Wait a minute... You're Anna, aren't you?" I nodded. Gina paused and looked at me, then at the divine weapon. I noticed that it had taken on a blockier shape, but retained its colors. "...Okay. So, where and why am I here?"

"Welcome to Askr, one of the four countries in the world of Zenith. More specifically- Vaskrheim in the hills of central Askr. " I let out a heavy sigh and frowned at her. "As for why you're here, I summoned you using Briedablik as part of a summoning ritual. You are the Great Hero of legend-" I stopped and watched her roll on the ground while laughing. "You are not taking this seriously, are you?"

Gina cackled and put her hands on the stomach pouches of her soft armor. I hung my head and crossed my arms with a sigh until she stopped laughing and stood up. "Red- you've got the wrong gal. Do I look like a hero to you?"

"Sorry, shorty. Briedablik reacted to you- ergo, you're the legendary summoner." I looked down at her with a hand on her shoulder with a serene smile.

"Fine." She blinked and glared up at me. "Wait, did you just call me short!?"

I ignored her question and asked, "How did you find Briedablik?" I looked down at the divine weapon in Gina's hands.

Gina looked down at Briedablik and snorted. "Build-a-brick? This weird, blinky gun? Found it near the monolith."

"It's pronounced, BREED-AH-BLIK." I sounded out for her. "I used it to summon you. That being said, it looks nothing like any bow I have seen."

"…Ok. First off- It's called a gun." Gina pinched between her eyes and sighed while twirling Briedablik like a baton. "I'm surprised that you haven't invented crossbows yet, but whatever."

Before my eyes, Briedablik and the chair turned into white essences and entered the 'phone'.

"Did it just-" I blinked.

"It did." Gina grunted, "Wait... roster, inventory, status- the hell?" I heard several soft clicks as Gina took off her glasses and looked into her device. "Guess I'm a pack mule now- I mean... here we are."

I closed my eyes and covered my face with my arm as light poured out of Gina's 'phone'. I blinked and coughed to myself as Briedablik and the chair reappeared at her feet. "Here, you can have the gun-" She handed over Briedablik to me before it returned to her hand. "Back. Dammit."

I grabbed Briedablik twice and grew frustrated the more it returned to Gina's hands. I buried my face in my hands before I heard a familiar sound of steel on stone. I whirled around and grunted as red-clad brunette shoved a folding chair into my arms. I let out a frustrated grunt as she ran towards the knight with Briedablik in her hands.

I winced when she fell and the knight bashed her in the face for her trouble. She stood up, staggered back and scowled as I ran up to the knight. I raised the chair, ready to attack- but I earned a bash to the face for my trouble and fell next to her.

"There goes that plan. And my glasses." My partner shook her head and stood up with a scowl. She held a pair of spectacles, now broken in half and cracked in several places. Gina looked to the right and noticed a shiny stone twinkle past the knight. "I'll distract 'im while you get your ax."

"Distract him... how?" I asked with a furrowed brow.

"With the chair, of course! It'll be harder for me to fight, but I can manage." I groaned while Gina took the chair from my hands and held it in a two-handed grip. "The hell are you waitin' for!? Go already!"

I grunted and pushed myself to my right. The knight thrust his sword forward. I let out a relieved sigh when I saw my partner on the other side. The knight drew back his blade and stopped. It winced when I heard her yell profanities- the sort that would make royal knights blush.

I kept running until I saw Noatun's hilt. I yelped as I rolled and fell forward. I let out a long, pained groan when I landed on my stomach in front of a familiar ax. I wasn't too happy that I was clumsier than usual today. Then again, this area has been abandoned for gods know how long.

I pushed myself up and held Noatun's hilt with a strong grip. I covered my mouth and leaned forward before I heaved and threw up my breakfast. My heartbeat drowned out the din of steel on steel and harsh yelling. I slowed my breaths as the cool breeze blew against my red hair while I lifted Noatun from the ground.

I blinked and found myself standing behind Gina, who slouched with slow and uneven gasps. She released her grip on the chair with her left hand and wiped the sweat off. Gina shifted into a guard stance with her hands on the chair. The knight slouched forward with a loose grip on his weapon. He let out a short grunt and descended with his feet planted on the ground.

"Kept me waitin', huh? Well, now's your chance!" My partner yelled. I turned to the knight, then back to her. Green tendrils converged and circled my limbs. They crawled up my back until Noatun started to glow a soft green. I drew my ax back and leaped forward with a yell. I landed in front of the knight and started with an overhead slash and a sweep. I followed up with another underhead slash, a horizontal sweep. I stepped forward and yelled with a downward stab.

I cheered when I heard the knight staggered again. That brief, joyful moment turned to sheer horror. Sheer horror expressed by an unholy cacophony of drums, violins and bone-chilling wails. I ran back to my partner, who leaned back and hurled Briedablik like a throwing ax. To my surprise, the knight staggered and lowered its shield.

"Aim for the legs!" I heard Gina yell. I ran towards the knight with Noatun raised and hacked at its legs. I was about to attack again when the knight rose to his full height and I shuddered from its malicious glare.

"Nope. Nope, nope, nope- so much nope." I gulped and ran back to Gina, who at her full height stood up to my chest. I had this strange urge to hug her, but I huffed to myself and turned back to the enemy. For some strange reason, she decided to stop and eat a piece of candy from her armor. I decided to ignore her and assume it was her way of coping.

I gave Gina a strange look as she twitched for a moment and turned to the knight with narrowed brows and a manic grin. The knight rolled his shoulders and floated up to us with his sword raised. Time slowed and I found myself pushed away from the knight's incoming attack.

"Floaty bastard's vulnerable after his attack!" Gina yelled after I sidestepped and heard the sword hit the grass.

I heard a thunderous bang followed by a scream. The knight staggered back and righted himself with his sword. I stole a glance to see Gina hunched over with Briedablik in her hand and the chair at her feet. I ignored the music as I rushed up to the knight. He lunged at me. I swat his sword aside with my ax. I let out a yell as I felt the wind gather around Noatun. The knight slashed at me, but I dashed under his shield and swung at his back. He dropped his sword and arched his back, screaming.

I slashed his back twice. The knight turned around with a roar and bashed me with his shield. I staggered back and wiped the blood from my nose. A large, white-green bolt hit the back of his shoulder. He staggered forward and turned around. A second bolt sent the massive sword flying and a third pierced through the knight's armor. I heard a low roar as the knight finally fell to his knees and collapsed.

"Dunno if that was supposed to happen, but let's get the hell outta here." Gina let out a soft groan and pulled herself up using the monument as support. "Don't want to be nearby when he wakes up."

I shook my head at the downed knight and decided to walk away. I wasn't happy about leaving the knight alone, but disarming his weapon is the best option we have for now. I motioned for Gina to follow me.

* * *

It was a far enough distance from the cliffs. I tasted the cold, crisp air. To my left, I shuddered at the shadow of the abandoned and dilapidated temple. The temple that once housed Briedablik and the instructions for the summoning ritual.

I did not enter, as I no longer had a reason to and I decided to stop and sit down on the tall grass near the stairs. Gina looked winded from her heavy breaths after sitting down and resting her hands on her knees. I let out an exasperated sigh as she sat down and heaved deep breaths on the grass. I watched as the girl raised her hand and flashed a familiar gun to me. To my surprise, Briedablik pulsed with warmth in her right hand as it shone with a soft, yellow light.

"Whew." I wiped the sweat off of my forehead and sat down. "We took care of him for now, at least. But how did you fire Briedablik without summoning a hero?"

"Oh, that? It's a gun- so I have some experience. Something tells me it ain't supposed to do that." Gina grunted and sat up. "What's with the armor?"

"Glad you asked, Gina." I looked down at her with a small smile. "I am the current commander of the Order of Heroes."

"Order of Heroes?"

"The Order of Heroes was founded when the Emblan Empire started their plans of conquest. As of late, Embla has been invading other worlds and binding heroes into their service. Our job is to free those heroes and to stop Embla from invading all the worlds. For that to happen, Askr needs the Great Hero of legend- and you are that legend."

"What does this gun even do?" Gina asked.

"As for what Briedablik does, it summons heroes using these-" I handed over a small, leather pouch. I opened it and showed her a strawberry-sized marble. It felt warm and smooth to the touch and shone with the colors of the rainbow. "These were supposed to be loaded onto Briedablik earlier, but I used that time summoning you instead."

"I see. Don't tell me you're the only one in this Order of Heroes?"

"What? No." I shook my head and frowned. "As of now, we only a few members consisting of myself, Lord Alfonse, Lady Sharena and three other Heroes who have somehow been summoned here," I answered. "We will meet up with them soon, don't worry about that." I winked and rested my finger on my chin. "Anyway, this realm has gateways to the worlds where Heroes come-"

"Just tell me 'bout Askr and Embla!" Gina interrupted.

"Embla has black and gold in their armor. Askr has white and gold," I rested my hand on her shoulder and looked down at her with a concerned frown. "How much do you know about those worlds? Can you still see?"

"Those worlds are legends back home. I can still see, but I'm far from blind." She looked at me with a furrowed brow and handed over Briedablik to me. "That doesn't explain why I'm here instead of drowning my sorrows in spiked coffee."

"I was desperate, okay!?" I shook my head and sighed. "That ritual isn't exactly safe and I'm still not happy that you landed on me earlier. We have to hurry- if we stay any longer, that knight will come looking for us!" Gina nodded at me as I holstered Noatun on my shoulder, grabbed her hand and ran.

I clenched my hand to check if I held Briedablik, but as expected, it returned to Gina's grasp. I was about to take another step closer when I heard faint chatter and loud rustling... when I realized that the rustling came from us. Up ahead of me were four ruined buildings with a lone tree in the middle. I take it back- this area looked more like detached walls than buildings. I deemed the normal-sized Emblan axemen as greater threats than the archer in the back.

Looking at Gina, who decided to crouch and hide beneath the tall grass, the chair she brought with her had disappeared and so had Briedablik. I let out a soft groan and applied my hand to my face when I realized that the divine weapon can be summoned at any time.

I lowered myself and crouched next to Gina, who peered through the tall grass. She drew back after several minutes, sat down and summoned Briedablik.

"Here's hoping we can sneak out." Gina scowled as she closed Briedablik and looked up. "Something tells me that guy has friends nearby."

I readied Noatun and snuck through the tall grass when I felt a twig crack underneath my boot.

"There she is! Get her!" Several voices yelled.

"So much for stealth," Gina stood up and muttered with a resigned sigh. "Time for Plan B."

"Oh, good. Our odds have gone from hopeless to overwhelming." I groaned and stood up as my eye twitched at the advancing Emblan forces. "I can't defeat them all by myself, and you're in no condition to help me."

I looked at her with a deadpan stare as I was met with laughter. She stood up and gripped my shoulder with a determined look. "I ain't happy that I'm brought here outta the blue, but it would be against my conscience to let you die alone." Gina shook her head and gently pushed me back with a smile. She twirled Briedablik twice, aimed forward and pulled the trigger.

Gina was blown back after shooting Briedablik and groaned after she landed on the soft grass. At the same time, a white beam shot out of Briedablik and split into five smaller beams. I covered my eyes from the harsh light and lowered my arms to see a white-haired archer appear. He wore blue robes with a white spiked collar, brown armguards, a fur mantle, grey pants, and a blue/brown boots along with a confused look.

"She summoned a Hero..." I looked at the unconscious woman, then at Briedablik. "Huh, that stupid thing worked after all." I felt a draft from behind and turned around.

"I'm Takumi, a prince of Hoshido and wielder of the divine Fujin Yumi. Which makes me pretty useful, I'd-" The archer remarked and pointed to me with a leer. "Anna, why are you wearing armor?"

"Oh, you must have mistaken me for one of my sisters or cousins." I giggled while covering my mouth with my hands; my smile grew wider when I watched Takumi shudder. I walked closer to Gina and knelt down next to her. I gently slapped her on the cheek until I heard a soft groan. "Wake up, sleepyhead. Are you still alive?"

"Yes... I'm still alive." Gina groaned and stood up. She paused and turned to Takumi, who shot the first axeman in the head using the Fujin Yumi. He turned around and stared at her, then at Briedablik in her hand.

"So you're the one who summoned me." The Hoshidan archer frowned. "Aren't you-"

"No, I'm not." Gina sighed. She yelped and landed on her butt when an arrow whizzed by her face.

I turned around to see the archer and axeman paired up together. The archer stood beside the axeman with his bow aimed toward us.

"Gina! Orders?" I yelled at her.

"Red, I want you and Pineapple-"

"What in the Dawn Dragon's name is a pineapple!?" Takumi yelled.

"I'll answer that later," Gina answered in a calm tone and opened up Briedablik. She took out two orbs and stored them in her armor while Takumi groaned. "Right now, you two go after the guy with the ax- I'll go after the archer."

* * *

"If only she can apply her brand of creativity to tactics..." I mumbled to myself as she ran ahead and launched herself with Briedablik.

I heard a yell and blocked an incoming slash. Takumi nocked an arrow and shot at the axeman's face. The axeman grunted when he felt a cut on his cheek. Takumi fired another shot, but the axeman ducked and ran towards me. I raised Noatun in time for an incoming slash. I instead staggered back and earned a kick to the stomach for my trouble. The axeman lunged at me with his weapon raised above his head. I widened my stance, tightened my grip and held Noatun at an angle. As I planned, the axehead hit Noatun's hilt. The enemy bore down his weight on Noatun. I pushed against him and bashed at him with my ax. We both took heavy breaths for a moment before the enemy lunged at me with his ax again.

I blocked him again and kicked him in the stomach, then I glowed green and countered with the five-hit onslaught from earlier. I swung at him one more time and this time, the knight knelt to the ground with his armor destroyed and bleeding chest until he died from an arrow to the head.

"Thanks for the help." I nodded at Takumi, who nodded back.

"You're not bad for an Anna." Takumi stopped and looked around, "You're the first one that hasn't tried to scam me out of my gold."

"Don't push it." I shook my head, reached behind my pouch and tossed an amber bottle at him. I pulled Noatun close to my chest and closed my eyes. I felt green gusts of wind around my body and thought of Gina. Takumi and I started to glow in a green aura and the current battlefield left our view.

* * *

When Takumi and I reappeared, Gina stood over the archer with a broken bow and two halves of a chair at her feet and arrow held in her hand. The archer lay crumpled on the ground with cuts and bruises on his face, dents on his armor and helmet, a dagger impaled on his stomach and an arrow stuck on his throat. Gina turned to me with slow, deep breaths and a shadow on her face. She dropped the arrow and fell on her knees with a dry heave.

"I... I'll help you." Gina started to glow with a green haze. She shuddered and hugged herself while green gusts circled her. "I'll take your blessing."

"Are you alright, Summoner?" Takumi asked and stepped forward after a moment of silence.

"No." Gina huffed to herself, stood up and wiped her mouth while breathing heavily. "Just tired is all. Adrenaline an' coffee are the only things keepin' me awake an' alive now."

"Anna and I can fight for you if you want." Takumi offered.

"I... I can deal." Gina raised a hand as she turned to me and huffed. "Thanks, though."

"I'm glad you're in one piece, Gina." I let out a relieved sigh and placed my hand on her shoulder. She looked up with a neutral look and snorted. "Oh, that's right! I never did tell you where we were going."

"I know that you're on our side, but you never told us where we're going." Takumi frowned and crossed his arms.

"There's a castle town after this hill," I answered. "It's not too far from here. Here you are." I handed the Summoner an amber bottle.

"Uh, a vulnerary?" Gina asked. "Say, can Noatun teleport us to the castle?"

"It's yours now. I had meant to give it to you earlier, but we were caught up in the last battle." I replied and hoisted Noatun on my shoulder. I let out a big sigh and continued. "I never doubted for a second that you were the Great Hero. You're the one who will save our kingdom." I grinned at the girl, who looked up to me with a bemused stare and snorted.

"That doesn't seem reassuring at all, but whatever." Gina shrugged her shoulders and took a glance at Takumi, who leered back at her and averted his gaze.

"What were you doing before I summoned you?" I asked.

"I was about to go job searching but I guess that plan went out of the window," Gina growled and chomped on a piece of candy from her armor.

"You're taking this surprisingly well. Are you sure you're alright?" I asked.

"No." Gina flatly replied. "I suck."

"What kind of trade requires you to run yourself into the ground!?" Takumi asked the summoner with a furrowed brow. I looked at Gina, who yawned and leaned on her leg.

"For starters, my first job. I work as a baker and I've been running multiple shifts to keep that place afloat lately." Gina answered with a confused grunt. "As for my other job, I'm basically a crier... for a specific kind of news if it makes any sense."

"How are you still standing!?" I gaped at her.

"I told you- Adrenaline and five cups of coffee a day!" Gina grinned with a proud smile while she poked the broken halves of the chair and the quiver and watched them disappear into her phone.

"That's a load of pegasus dung. How can anyone possibly enjoy drinking that much coffee?" Takumi scoffed while Gina rubbed the back of her neck and let out a nervous chuckle.

* * *

Somewhere in Zenith, a black-armored blonde man sneezed into his cape in front of a black-robed, long-haired blonde girl.

"The Askrans are taking longer than I thought." The girl mused. "Did you say something?"

"No, but I could have sworn I heard someone talking about me." The man sniffled. "No matter. Do you want a ride on my horse?"

The girl nodded and smiled at the older man. He dismounted the horse and pushed her up his mount.

* * *

"Anyway- our order is small, but welcome to our ranks." I looked down at her with a warm look and reached out my hand to her. "Please, help us find more Heroes to assist us. Now that you're here, I just know that we'll win our fight against the Emblan empire."

"Not like either of us have a choice." Takumi huffed and clenched his bow. "What say you, Summo-"

Gina let out a wordless gasp as Takumi and I found the pointed end of a greatsword jutting out of her stomach, glowing with a pale blue light. Blood ran through her mouth as she slipped through like melted butter. I looked up to see a familiar knight floating above us. Purple tendrils danced around his body as the holes in his helmet glowed with a menacing red. The air tasted metallic as steam formed from the knight's weapon. I shuddered as the air around me felt heavier. I ran to Gina and caught her before her body touched the grass.

"You will not leave here alive..." The knight rasped and leveled his sword at me- I glared at him and pulled Gina close to my chest.

"What I would do for some combustible lemons right now." Gina murmured with a soft gasp. I flinched and looked down. Her arm wrapped around my back while her other arm hung limp. There was a large tear in her vest from her chest to her hip and she was struggling to stay awake.

Takumi let out a large salvo of arrows into the knight, but nothing happened.

"It didn't work?" Takumi lowered his bow and glared at the knight.

"Don't need good eyes... to see... null... attack..." Gina mumbled.

"Do you mean Embla's Ward?" Gina nodded with a grunt.

"Anna. Take..." Gina let out a harsh, wet cough and huffed. "Leave me... take the gun."

"What!?" I gasped. "I'll die if I try to wield the Briedablik again! I am NOT leaving you behind."

"Thought you were going... leave me... bandit."

The knight stepped closer, a step forward increasing the tension in the air.

Takumi and I turned to the Summoner with horrified looks. Is that what she really thought of me?

The knight held his sword in a two-handed grip and raised his sword high.

"I don't care if you summon _that_ Nohrian scum at this point. Just do something!" Takumi yelled.

Gina grunted and lifted the Briedablik in her left hand. I felt time down as she leveled the divine weapon towards the greatsword. Takumi's voice sounded faint, drowned out by the loud cries of mine and Gina's heartbeats. I heard a click and the plains of Askr whited out.

* * *

I blinked and lowered my ax arm as Takumi, Gina and I appeared in front of the castle entrance. Alfonse ran out of the castle to greet us.

"Commander Anna! You're all right!" Alfonse called and turned to Gina. "Wait, who is this with you? Could it be…?"

"It is, Prince Alfonse! The legend is true." I nodded and held Gina close. "This is Gina. She's the summoner, even if she doesn't seem like the Great Hero at first glance. I hate to say it, but we're going to have to leave her behind on this one."

"What happened out there?" Alfonse asked.

"We were caught off-guard by a sword knight," Takumi answered. "If the Summoner didn't do what she did, we wouldn't even be here!"

"You did good, Takumi." I turned towards the archer. "Stay in the Great Hall for now until further notice."

Takumi nodded and entered the castle. Alfonse walked closer to me and grabbed the summoner by the other shoulder. We entered the castle and passed through the Great Hall. I ignored Virion's flirting and Matthew was being a good big brother to Raigh. I wasn't sure how they had wandered into Askr, but I smiled for a moment before I shifted my hips as Alfonse and I carried Gina towards the healer's wing.

"Please tell me we have healers on duty!" I grunted as I took a quick glance at her.

"We do." Alfonse answered.

"Good." I nodded. "Because Gina's going to need all the help she can get."

Alfonse and I finally found the infirmary with Gina in tow. The healer was about to make a comment about Gina's appearance, but I glared at her and lowered Gina into a nearby cot.

I turned to Gina with a forlorn look and sighed. I had one job and I almost screwed it up.

"Commander Anna, I have dire news." Alfonse clenched his fists. "The empire has newly taken over that world. We need to make our way to the World of Mystery to free it! There is one more thing. I spotted someone odd with the soldiers near here. A strange man. Not an imperial soldier. Nor a Hero from the World of Mystery now under their control."

"A strange man, you say?" I put a finger to my chin and frowned. "Did he seem allied with the Emblan Empire?"

"I don't know." Alfonse shook his head. "I have never seen him before. He wears a mask and keeps his face secret from even them. But now, we must rush into battle."

"I'll tell everyone else the news." I nodded with a determined frown."We'll meet up with you then."

I took one last look at Gina and left the infirmary as she was swarmed by healers.

* * *

 ** _Gina leveled up!_**

 **Level 2**  
SPD +2  
ATK+1  
HP+1

 **Learned Smite and Miracle**


End file.
